The Pool Party
by Crystalbearer
Summary: It's Casper High's Annual Pool Party and Sam and Danny finally get to go together. But when Sam loses a bet and has to wear a bikni, her feelings that Danny may not truly like her for her sky rockets. DXS OOC OC's


**Okay, since I got such good reviews on "New Enemy", I decided to (no not a sequal, sorry) write something else that has Mac and Starr in it.**

**I will warn you, it may be a little awkward for you if you're a guy because it mentions the "menstrual cycle." It plays a part in the story. If its too weird, I'm giving a summery at the end (and because it might be a little confusing about what happened).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, but I do own Mac and Starr. Did I mention that I owned them in "New Enemy"? Ah well. THEY'RE MINE.**

* * *

><p>"Come on, Sam!"<p>

"No!"

"You said you would."

"I lied."

"You can't lie, Sam. You lost the bet and have to accept defeat."

Samantha (Sam) Manson was currently in the dressing room of one of the swim suit stores at the mall. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was glaring down at the black cat. **(A/N: Description in profile.)** The animal, Starr, only glared back harder.

"Well too bad!" Sam snarled and threw down the bathing suit she had been holding. She pushed past the cat.

"Sam…" Starr began.

The Goth wheeled around. "I've barely worn anything but a one-piece since I was born. Don't think I'm going to start changing now just because of your stupid bet."

Starr smiled. "You agreed to the bet. You knew the terms. You knew what would happen if you lost. And that's what you did. You lost. "

"I thought I would win!" Sam threw her hands in the air in exasperation.

"You thought wrong, my friend." Starr picked up the bathing suit in her mouth and tossed it to Sam with a flick of her head. She caught it and looked back down at Starr. "Try it on, Sam. Then I'll decide if it's worthy enough to wear to the pool party."

Sam growled and stomped into the changing room and shut the door.

Ah yes, Casper High's annual "End of the Year Pool Party" was coming up in just a week and everyone had been rushing around trying to find the perfect swimsuit and a date. For Sam, only the date part had been taken care of, considering that she and Danny Fenton, also known as Danny Phantom, Hero of the Ghost Zone. Only three years ago had he saved the world from the Disasteriod (as well as revealing his secret to the whole world) and since then had they started dating.

Of course, with one more thing to go on Sam's "Pool Party To-Do List" she and Starr had made a bet on who Mr. Lancer would take to the party. Sam had bet that it would be Miss Summers, one of the ELA teachers. Starr bet on Principal Ishiyama, and of course, Starr won. The terms were that if Starr won, she would pick out a bathing suit for Sam to wear to the pool party and she would have to stay the entire time. If Sam won then she wouldn't have to.

Seeing as they both overheard Mr. Lancer asking out Ishiyama and her saying yes, they headed for the mall.

Now, Starr was patiently waiting outside of the door of the changing room as Sam got dressed. She flexed her wings as she casually glanced around the room at the other people who had come to try on clothes. Some were from Casper High and they gave her small, nervous waves and hid in the changing rooms to squeal about how they saw a friend of Danny Phantom's.

Sam's voice quietly came from the other side of the door. "Starr, can you come in here?"

The cat slipped under the door and looked up at the Goth who was currently sporting a purple and black striped bikini in front of the mirror. She turned around to check how she looked from the back when she saw Starr. "Well?" she asked.

Starr's jaw dropped open. She knew that bikini would look good on Sam, but not _this _good. It showed off her long legs and contrasted perfectly with her pale skin as well as brought out her eyes. Speaking of eyes, she caught Sam's amethyst gaze said the only thing that came to her mind. "Danny's gonna have a nosebleed."

Sam blushed at the fact and turned away, glancing in the mirror once more. "That good, huh?" She did a 360, and then bent down to scratch Starr's ears. "So, I assume this is the one?"

"Yup," Star got out between purrs. "Take it off and let's go pay for it. We've got a pool party to go to."

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><p><em>One week later…<em>

Sam once again stood in front of the mirror in her room looking at herself in the bikini she had bought. Bringing her hands up, she placed them on the waistband of the bottoms and trailed her fingers along it. _It really does look good, _she thought. She reached behind her and felt for the string that tied up the back as well as the one that tied around her neck. They were both tight and secure but Sam couldn't help but feel that it might fall off.

Sure, she looked good in it, but that's just how Starr saw her. They were best friends, surely she had to agree that it looked great. _"Danny's gonna have a nosebleed." _Those words echoed in her mind. _Yeah, a nosebleed from how terrible I look! _Sam turned away from the mirror in disgust. How could Danny think she was beautiful? She wasn't as skinny or as tanned as Paulina, or as cute and flirty as Valerie.

With tears in her eyes, she ripped off the bikini and tossed it into her pool bag. She changed back into her normal clothes and then sat on her bed with her face in her hands. She couldn't do it. She couldn't handle the rejection from Danny when he saw her and looked disgusted and offended to have been dating her.

A creaking sound made Sam's head snap up. "Knock, knock," came a soft voice form across the room. Starr had stuck her head through the cat door at the base of Sam's bedroom door. "Danny, Mac, Tucker, and Valerie are here." Her expression changed from one of excitement to one of concern. "Sam, are you alright?" She bounded up next to her on the bed.

Sam shook her head. "No. I don't want to go. What if Danny sees me and hates the way I look?"

Starr licked her cheek. "Sam, he couldn't hate you. He loves you far too much for that to happen. Where's your suit?"

Sam pointed to her bag. "I'm not wearing it."

"Why not?"

"Because… Because I don't want Danny to see me in it," Sam said. Starr gave her a look that said "are you kidding me?" "And because it's my time of the month," Sam quickly finished.

Starr tilted her head to the side. "Now? Wasn't it supposed to come next week?"

Sam shrugged and got up. "Guess it came early."

"Did you check?"

"Yeah."

"It's the full-blown thing?"

"Yeah. Oh well, too bad."

"Oh no. You're still coming whether you like it or not." Starr grabbed Sam's bag and flew to the door. "Come on, girl. It'll be fun!"

(INSERT LINEBREAK)

Downstairs, Danny, Mac **(A/N: Description in profile)**, Tucker, and Valerie were waiting for Starr to come back with Sam. Danny was wearing blue trunks, Tucker was wearing green trunks and Valerie was wearing a yellow bikini and strapless red cover-up over it. Mac sat down lazily on the floor, panting from the heat.

"I vote on black," Tucker said. "She hasn't worn anything but black bathing suits since her mother allowed her to choose what she wore."

"I don't know, Tuck. It could be purple. Or red," said Valerie.

"I doubt its red," Mac said. "Purple maybe, but not red."

"Choose one, Val," Tucker said.

"Red. Then we'll match," Valerie said and winked. They all laughed.

"What do you think, Danny?" Tucker asked after he had calmed down. All eyes turned to the raven-haired boy as he leaned against the doorframe of his girlfriend's house. "I vote on black, Valerie purple and Mac purple."

The halfa shrugged. "I don't know. And I don't really care either. All I know is that she'll look good in whatever it is she's wearing."

A small "aw" came from Valerie.

Tucker smiled. "So, final count: one black, one red, one purple, and one who doesn't care."

Mac lifted his head. "Why are we voting on Sam's bathing suit color again?"

"I blame Tucker," Danny said as footsteps were heard coming down the stairs. Sam appeared dressed like she was going to school, in a pair of jean shorts and a black tank top. Her hair was tied back and she was wearing black sandals.

Starr flew down the stairs behind her, carrying a small drawstring bag that must have been Sam's pool bag. She landed in front of Mac and sniffed him. He sniffed her back then happily barked. "Alright! Let's get this party started!" he cheered and raced outside, followed by Starr. Tucker and Valerie came after, holding hands. Only Danny waited for Sam, who seemed to be quieter than usual.

"Hey," Danny said, taking her hand and kissing it. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she said and walked faster to get to the car. "Let's just get this over with." She never met his eyes. With a confused look, he opened the passenger door and helped Sam in.

Starr had tossed Sam's bag in the back with everyone else's things and got in the passenger seat with Sam. Mac sat in the back with Tucker and Valerie. He gave an angry growl at Danny as the boy got in the driver's seat. With a sigh he hit the button that brought the window down. Mac stuck his head out while standing on Tucker's lap. "Now make it go!" he shouted. They all laughed and Danny started the car and drove toward the pool.

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><p><em>5 minutes before Sam came down…<em>

Starr halted outside of Sam's room as Sam opened the door, her arms carrying another set of clothes. Starr lifted an eyebrow but Sam shook her head and stuffed them into the bag.

They continued toward the stairs when Sam stopped. She back up against the wall and moved slowly along it, stopping when she reached the stairs. She held a finger up to her mouth to keep Starr quiet. The cat landed at her feet and listened.

"What do you think, Danny?" Tucker was saying. "I vote on black, Valerie purple and Mac purple."

_Why are they voting on colors? _Sam thought.

"I don't know. And I don't really care either." Sam froze and closed her eyes, not hearing anything but the sound of her heart breaking. _They're voting on the color of what I'm wearing. _

"So, final count: one black, one red, one purple, and one who doesn't care."

_And Danny could care less._

A tear trailed its way down her cheek. She wiped it away and took a few steps back. Starr looked up at her with a confused expression. Sam looked away and walked toward the stairs with feigned happiness.

* * *

><p>Sam sat in one of the lounge chairs near the pool reading a novel that she brought. The chair was under an umbrella along with a table that was now covered in all their stuff. Starr was curled up under the chair hiding from the sun.<p>

Sam turned a page and suddenly a shadow loomed over her. She dropped the book in her lap and saw Danny standing over her, dripping wet.

"Hey, Danny," she said. She smiled up at him and he carefully kneeled down next to her.

"You feeling alright?" he asked, the worry in his eyes giving away how he felt. She had told him (well, lied actually) about how it was her time of the month and she couldn't go in the pool. Valerie felt the most sympathy for her, being a girl and all. Tucker was too oblivious to even care, and Mac just acted like it was completely normal, although Starr could tell he thought something was up.

Danny rubbed her arm. "Are you sure you wanna stay? We can leave; I have no problem with that."

She waved him away. "No, no. It's fine. Stay. Don't let me ruin your fun. I'm fine right here."

Danny didn't move. "Sam," he said.

"Danny."

He stared at her, then leaned in and kissed her. "Fine then. There's no winning with you. I'll be in the pool if you need me." He turned and did a cannonball into the water that splashed everyone near him, including Sam.

"Danny!" she shouted. She jumped up, letting the water run off her.

The raven-haired boy popped up above the water. "Oops."

"Oops is right," Sam said and grabbed a towel to dry herself off. Starr crawled out to assess the damage.

"I give it an eight," she said.

Mac swam up and hung on the side of the pool. "Only an eight?" he asked. "I say six. Points off for splashing your girlfriend, dude," he said to Danny.

The halfa gave a small chuckle. "Heh. Sorry, Sam."

"Its fine," she said. She reached into her bag and took out the clothes she brought. "This is why I brought extra clothes." She slung them over her shoulder and headed toward the girls dressing room. Starr started to follow, but Sam ushered her back saying that she didn't need to follow her everywhere.

This was strange to Starr, because Sam has never complained about her trailing along before. _Maybe she's PMSing, _she thought. But there was something else in Sam's voice that brought questions to her mind. She could detect a hint of nervousness in her voice, just the tiniest bit.

After Sam disappeared through the doorway, Starr weaved her way through the crowd of people and entered the dressing room. It smelled of sunscreen and sweat and chlorine. She wrinkled her nose and tried to concentrate on Sam's scent. It led her through the shower area and past the bathrooms, into the changing area.

Sam was in one of the secluded rooms off to the side. Starr tracked her down and she sat down to wait.

The stench of the room at this point was overpowering, and Starr felt a headache coming on. She covered her nose and breathed through her fur. _Wait. Something's missing._ She removed her paw and took a deep breath, despite the sudden nausea and burning lungs. In all of the random scents in his room, one was missing. One that only she and Mac and any other animal would be able to smell. Blood. If Sam was on her time of the month, then Starr would be able to tell. But that scent wasn't there at all. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on locating that one scent, she just couldn't get it.

Instead of the scent of blood, she caught another scent. The same one from a week ago when they were at the mall. The scent of brand-new clothes.

Starr rose to four legs and stuck her head under the changing curtain. Sam was standing in her bikini, trying to retie the strings around her neck.

"You lied!" Starr's voice caught Sam off-guard and she dropped the strings she was holding and the top fell down, almost revealing her chest.

"Starr! What are you doing here?" Sam shrieked. She quickly tied the string and gathered her clothes to put them on.

"You don't have your period," Starr said, lowering her voice. "You lied."

"I know. And I'm sorry. But you heard what Danny said. He doesn't care what I wear—"

"Because he knows you'll look good no matter what," Starr finished for her. "I guess you didn't hear all of what he said."

"What?" Sam asked.

"He said that no matter what you wear, he knows you'll look good in it."

Sam was stunned. Starr was right. Danny loves her for who she is and it doesn't matter what she wears. Anything will look good on her in his eyes. "Are you serious?" she asked.

"Never been more serious in my life." Starr grabbed a towel and wrapped it around Sam. "Now let's go surprise everyone."

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><p>Sam stepped out of the dressing room feeling a bit awkward. She padded over to the table and laid her bag on it. Starr leapt on the lounge chair.<p>

"Sam?" Danny's voice made Sam turn around, so fast she almost dropped the towel. "You're going in? But I thought…"

"False alarm," Sam said quickly.

"Well, come on! We're going to play Chicken later and I need you to be my partner before I get attacked by all these 'Phangirls.'" He chuckled and gave her his infamous half smile. Holding out his hand, he begged, "Please, Sam?"

She blushed and let the towel drop. The temperature seemed to rise another twenty degrees for Danny. Sam looked… There was no word to describe how incredibly beautiful and gorgeous she looked. For a minute, it seemed like she was the only one there, the only one he could look at.

Sam caught him staring and not saying anything. She took it the wrong way and grabbed at the towel and hid herself again. That brought Danny out of his daze.

He stepped closer and laid his hand over hers. "Why are you hiding from me?"

"You don't like it. You think I look terrible," she said. Tears sprang into her eyes.

Danny cupped her cheek and whispered, "I could never think that. You look extremely beautiful right now."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" she asked.

"I couldn't. There's no word to describe how insanely gorgeous you are."

"How about stunning?" Starr tried.

"Dazzling?" Mac came up behind Danny and moved to sit next to Starr.

"Alluring." Starr said.

"Enthralling." Mac said.

"Captivating."

"Enchanting."

"Hypnotizing."

"Mesmerizing."

"All of the above," Danny said, cutting in to Mac and Starr's argument. "And that's just you in a bikini." He raised his eyebrows suggestively and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Anything for you," he mumbled against her skin as his mouth traveled down her jawline to her neck. She sighed and leaned into him.

Their moment was broken when Tucker shouted at them to hurry up. "HEY LOVEBIRDS! YOU PLAYING CHICKEN OR WHAT?"

Mac and Starr excitedly jumped into the pool to play. Danny turned to go when Sam grabbed his arm. "Danny," she said. "I love you."

He turned to her with a broad smile on his face. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her with so much passion that Sam thought she would pass out. She responded and tangled her hands in his damp hair. They finally broke apart when the need for air was too much. Baby blue stared into amethyst. "I love you, too, Sammy. So much."

A wave of water crashed into Danny and Sam, soaking them completely.

They turned around to see Mac and Starr looking way too innocent. "Oops," they said.

"MAC!" Danny yelled.

"Starr!" Sam cried. The two raced off hand in hand to chase their now screaming pets across the pool.

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><p><strong>So basically, now that Danny and Sam are dating, Sam is very worried about what Danny thinks of her. The bet between her and Starr only emphasized that feeling. Sam's nerves got the better of her and she faked her "time of the month" to avoid having to be "rejected" by Danny. When she overhears her friends talking about what color bathing suit she'll wear, she only hears Danny say he doesn't care. Starr, on the other hand hears the whole thing. After Danny splashes her at the pool and Starr follows her into the changing room, Starr dicovers that Sam was lying. Then, YAY! Happy ending. :)<strong>

**It may not have even been weird at all for anybody, but better safe then sorry.**

**So anyway, what'd you think? And I'm still waiting on more answers to whether or not I should post Mac and Starr's backstories. I'll only do it if I get a lot of requests to do so.**

**So please review! Thanks, I love you guys!**

**~Crystalbearer~**


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